What Does it Mean to be Psychic?
A psychic is a person who knows information about you, which they have no way of knowing. In order to tap into information about a person, a psychic uses extrasensory perception (ESP), an ability to perceive information beyond their five senses of hearing, sight, touch, taste and smell. ESP is sometimes referred to as a sixth sense.
According to parapsychologists, there are two main types of ESP: clairvoyance and telepathy. If a person possesses the power of clairvoyance or telepathy, they are said to be psychic.
What is The Meaning of Clairvoyance?
The most common type of ESP is clairvoyance, which comes from the French ‘clear seeing’. Clairvoyance is the ability to see an event in the past, present or future. Second sight, is another term for clairvoyance.
Information gained about the past is retrocognition and the future is precognition.
Precognition can happen to you, even if you do not consider yourself ‘psychic.’ A client of mine, who claims not to have a ‘psychic bone in her body’, explained about a premonition she had out of the blue. As she sat in her chair by the fire one evening, she suddenly saw a vision of herself driving her car. In her vision, a truck swerved across the road, into her car, killing her instantly. Two days later the premonition looked like it was about to come true. She was driving her car to work, a truck swerved across the road, but she was able to narrowly manage avoiding it because she was driving slower than usual due to her premonition.
In such a way, premonitions can act as an early warning system.
Typically, a premonition will occur within 2 days of an event occurring. You might receive a warning in your dream, or as a vision out of the blue, playing like a movie in your head.
Psychic visions nearly always happen internally. The type of vision referred to here, does not involve the use of your physical eyes. Rather, it is your mind’s eye; known in Eastern tradition as the Third Eye and sixth chakra.
Interesting: In mediumship, clairvoyance is the most common way for mediums to obtain information from spirits in a seance or when sitting with a client.
What is Telepathy?
Telepathy is mind to mind communication, the projection of thoughts, images, feelings or ideas from one mind to another. Author Dean Radin PhD, in his book Real Magic, defines telepathy as “images or emotions shared between minds separated by distance.”
If you have ever thought of someone, and then that person rings, you have had a telepathic experience.
The word telepathy comes from the Greek word tele (distance) and pathe (feeling). Studies indicate that telepathy seems to occur more frequently and spontaneously in times of crisis, for example, when someone is in danger. That person might pop into your head out of blue, and you get a sense of anxiety or dread. Alternatively, the information could come through a dream, or a picture in your mind.
It seems that telepathy is closely tied to emotions, and you are more likely to connect telepathically with someone you have a bond with, like a partner or family member. Interestingly, studies show that when you are sending or receiving a telepathic message, your brain waves temporarily change to match the other person. [Source: Investigating paranormal phenomena: Functional brain imaging of telepathy]
“Those who are more attuned to an individual tend to be more receptive to that individual’s presence, and therefore, may pick up more easily on the thoughts, emotions and energy that the individual is projecting. This effect may be experienced to a greater extent by those who are more involved in an individual’s life than by those who are less involved, no matter the physical proximity to the individual.”
Leder, 2002
How do I Know if I Am Psychic?
Research indicates that everyone has ESP, we all have a Sixth Sense.
There are theories that ESP is a primitive sense that we have simply forgotten how to use because of the advance of modern life, and the fewer requirements for reliance on intuition.
Another theory is that ESP is a super sense that we are developing, and it represents the next stage of evolution in humankind.
That said, research suggests that some people are more gifted psychics than others. It seems a gift is most likely to emerge if you believe in ESP and you are relaxed around paranormal activity. Fear and skepticism appears to drive a big wedge between the realms.
If you really want to know more about your spiritual gifts, I recommend booking a Life Purpose reading with me.
Further Reading: Psychic Training and Development
You’re Not Alone – 3 in 4 Americans Believe in The Paranormal
According to a Gallup poll in 2005, nearly three in every four Americans hold at least one paranormal belief. Yet, according to Dean Radin, a mere 0.001 percent of academic scientists are actively studying the reality of these experiences. [Source: Paranormal Beliefs].
The Gallup poll asked about extrasensory perception, ESP, haunted houses, spirits and ghosts, telepathy, clairvoyance and the ability to predict the future and know the past. Researchers also asked about astrology, mediumship, witches, reincarnation and channeling spirits.
Terms Associated with Psychic Abilities
Astral Projection
Consciously leaving your body and allowing your astral body to travel.
Afterlife
A term to refer to life after death, and the continuation of existence beyond this world.
Akashic Records
Akashic is a Sanskrit word meaning space or ether. According to Theosophy, the Akashic Records are like a Book of Life, a place in another dimension where information on all your past and future lives exists. This is the ultimate cosmic library.
Animism
The religious belief that all objects, including buildings, places and creatures possess a spirit or spiritual essence. When a psychic receives information by touching an object, it is called psychometry.
Aura
The subtle energy field of a person or object, known as auric field. The aura is invisible to the naked eye but can be seen by clairvoyants.
Clairaudience
The power to hear things outside the range of normal perception.
Clairsentience
The ability to sense things outside the range of normal perception.
Claircognizance
The gift of ‘knowing’ things about the past, future and present.
Clairvoyance
The ability to ‘see’ with your third eye chakra or minds eye.
Divination
Divination is an umbrella term to describe methods used for predicting the future
Fortune Telling
Predicting what will happen in the future.
Intuition
The ability to know or sense without the use of rational processes. Also known as an inner voice.
I Ching
An ancient Chinese system of cosmology and philosophy, which is at the heart of Chinese spiritual beliefs. The philosophy centers on the ideas of Yin and Yang, the balance of opposites. In Western cultures, I Ching tends to be regarded as a form of divination.
Karma
The sum of a person’s thoughts and actions, which is used to determine the person’s future lives and experience.
Medium
A person who practices mediumship. Mediums can talk with the spirits of the dead, spirit guides and entities of another world or dimension.
Mentalism
Parapsychological activities, such as telekinesis, telepathy and mind reading.
Metaphysics
A branch of philosophy concerned with the study of being (ontology) and first principles. The central discussion is that all things are part of one source of energy and intelligence.
Meditation
A technique for focusing your thoughts for the purpose of self-development or spiritual growth.
Numerology
The occult study of numbers and their influence on human life and events.
Occult
Anything relating to the supernatural.
Palmistry
The practice of fortune telling through the lines on the palm of the hands.
Paranormal
Beyond the range of normal experience or scientific explanation; seemingly outside normal sensory channels.
Parapsychology
The scientific study of PSI phenomena, such as astral projection, telepathy, clairvoyance and psychokinesis.
Prophecy
A broad term, the prediction of future events.
Psychic Surgery
The ability to heal the body by channeling healing powers from another dimension. Also called psychic healing.
Psychic Attack
An alleged supernatural attack by spirits or demons which causes emotional or physical harm to a person. Methods used to induce a physic attack include voodoo dolls and the Huna death prayer.
Psychic Cold
A cold breeze one can feel when a spirit enters the room. The spirit draws energy from the environment, causing the temperature to drop.
Psychokinesis (PK) or Telekinesis
Term used to describe the use of mind to control and manipulate matter. PK is probably the source of phenomena like fire walking, metal bending and table tipping.
Paranormal ability to view objects at a distance, formerly called ‘travelling clairvoyance’ or telesthesia.
Space Clearing
The practice of clearing clutter in order to improve the natural flow of energies. Many believe space clearing to be the first step in applying feng shui principles to living and working spaces. It is similar to geomancy, and other practices that work with Earths energies.
Shamanism
A priest or wise person who practices traditional healing; known as a medicine man or witch doctor in other cultures. Shamans are believed to have control over the weather, the power of divination, ability to interpret dreams, astral project, and consult spirit guides in the form of animal guardians called totems.
Selenomancy
An ancient practice of divination which involves reading the moon – patterns on the surface of the moon, the phase of the moon and its visibility through cloud coverage.
Seer
An alternative name for a psychic, clairvoyant, prophet or soothsayer.
Sorcerer
Form of magic or sorcery that uses spells, charms and incantations to summon supernatural powers and spirits.
Sortilege
A form of divination done by casting of objects such as stones or dice after they have been mixed together.
Spiritualism
The belief that the dead communicate with the living, as through a medium.
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Other Useful Psychic Resources
Who Believes in ESP: Cognitive and Motivational Determinants of the Belief in Extra-Sensory Perception. Europe’s Journal of Psychology
Are psi phenomena real? A study on precognition once exploded science. Big Think, Neuropsych
Feeling the future: A meta-analysis of 90 experiments on the anomalous anticipation of random future events. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health
Psi Performance, Belief in Psi, and Competition in a Game-Show Format. Clinical Psychology at Eastern Illinois University
